Castries, Saint Lucia: Yesterday marked the beginning of the cruise season with the arrival of Carnival Venezia with over 4000 passengers out of a capacity of 5100 passengers, reported Ernest Hilaire, the Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism minister of Saint Lucia.
Minister Hilaire recently shared a glimpse of the arrival of the Carnival Venezia on his social media account. The event occurred when the gigantic cruise ship reached port Castries, carrying 4000 passengers who will explore the wonders of Saint Lucia, also known as the “Helen of the West Indies.”
The Saint Lucian Tourism Ministry welcomed the cruise ship, and the captain received a welcome gift from them. The ceremony went smoothly under the supervision of the Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Hilaire.
He emphasized that Cruise tourism brings tremendous benefits to Saint Lucian taxi drivers, restaurants, beach chair rentals, vendors, sites and attractions. He motivated the Tourism Ministry by saying, “Let us make the season a success and find creative and innovative ways to make this visit extraordinary for every passenger”.
Minister Hilare highlighted that Saint Lucia is expecting one of the most significant cruise ship seasons, with about 650,000 visitors expected through 400 cruise ship calls and 18 inaugural calls.
He also mentioned that Venezia has 20 Saint Lucians employed in various capacities. The Vista-class cruise ship is managed by a massive crew of 1,278 personnel from multiple regions.
Yesterday, Carnival Venezia arrived at Port Castries with 4,000 passengers. The giant Vista-class cruise Ship operated by Carnival cruise line has a massive capacity of carrying 4,208 passengers in a single run; it can also be extended to 5,260.
This giant vessel, with a massive weight of 135,225 tonnes, entered service on 8 March 2019. It has 14 passenger decks and 2,116 cabins.